Dispenser for semi-paste materials



y 1961 B. E. WATTERS EI'AL 2,984,391

DISPENSER FOR SEMI-PASTE MATERIALS Filed Dec. 11, 157

a fi I I! d 2 a f. w R m. w V L wy? 1%? m 1 h 3 W 1 W 4 3.4M WW 3 w E HNmWK $1 n m r M w m 1 f A m a x (a 4 M w 6 Wm w i w w F y x m e 4 wHT HY a a W V 0 m5 M a m e 5 ATTOENE atent Patented May 16, 1951 DISPENSER FOR SEMI-PASTE MATERIALS Bernard E. Watters and Bernard M. Watters, both of 5850 Central, Kansas City, Mo.

Filed Dec. 11, 1957, Ser. No. 702,190

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-309) This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and more particularly, to a dispenser for semi-paste materials such as soap or the like.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a dispenser for semi-paste materials such as soap, which is constructed in a novel manner so that a predetermined quantity of soap is ejected from the dispenser upon each actuation of the mechanism thereof without any leakage of the material during the time the dispenser is not being actuated.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for semi-paste materials capable of operating in a manner as set forth above and which includes mechanism in the bore communicating the receptacle of the dispenser with the outlet opening thereof, adapted for ejecting a measured amount of material from the outermost end of the actuating plunger of the dispenser each time the plunger is reciprocated by a person desiring to obtain soap from the dispenser.

Also an important object of this invention is to provide a semi-paste material dispenser as described wherein the base of the dispenser is provided with a single elongated bore communicating the receptacle of the dispenser with the outlet opening of the base, adapted to receive the ejection mechanism of the dispenser for dispensing a predetermined quantity of material from the apparatus upon each actuation of the mechanism, to the end that the overall cost of the dispenser may be materially lowered because of the fact that less machining operations are necessary in the forming of suitable passageways in the base for receiving the ejection mechanism.

Also an important object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for semi-paste materials wherein the material is dispensed from the outermost end of the plunger which is reciprocated to actuate the ejection mechanism within the dispenser, so that the person operating the dispenser to obtain soap therefrom may receive such soap in the same hand which is utilized to actuate the dispensing plunger.

Other important objects of the present invention include the provision of a dispenser for semi-paste materials which includes valve means inthe bore communicating the receptacle of the dispenser with the outlet opening thereof for preventing flow of soap from the dispenser except during actuation of the ejection mechanism disposed within the outlet bore; the provision of a piston shiftably mounted within the outlet bore of the dispenser and connected to the dispensing plunger in a manner so that upon reciprocation of the plunger by a person desiring soap from the dispenser, the piston is shifted inwardly into a closed portion of the bore so that material in the closed portion of the bore is forced through a normally closed valve in the piston in a manner to be directed into the tubular plunger and thereby be dispensed at the outermost end thereof as the plunger is reciprocated inwardly, thus assuring that a predetermined quantity of soap is dispensed from the apparatus during each actuation thereof; the provision of a dispenser as described above wherein return of the piston from within the closed portion of a bore causes a vacuum to be formed to pull additional material from the receptacle into the bore, so that the same is in a position to be dispensed upon the next actuation of the dispensing plunger; the provision of a dispenser wherein the parts may be readily disassembled and cleaned if necessary and which may be easily replaced if the same become damaged; the provision of a soap dispenser which is particularly adapted to be mounted in a position above a wash basin or the like and which is constructed so that a considerable amount of paste material may be placed in the same to thereby preclude the necessity of frequent refilling of the storage area of the receptacle; and other important objects and details of construction which will become obvious as the following specification progresses.

Figure 1 is a central, vertical, cross-sectional view of a dispenser for soap or the like, constructed in accordance with the concepts of the instant invention and showing the dispensing plunger and its associated valve mechanism and ejection structure in their outermost positions;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, central, vertical, cross-sectional view similar to Fig. l and showing the dispensing plunger in its innermost position and thereby illustrating the manner in which soap is ejected from the outermost end of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

A dispenser broadly referred to in the drawing by the numeral 10 is particularly adapted to be mounted on a vertical support 12 and includes an elongated, upright, cylindrical receptacle 14 received within a circular depression presented by an annular flange 16 integral with the uppermost part of a base 18. Flange 2%) depending from the lowermost part of base 18 provides means for mounting dispenser 10 on support 12 by suitable screws 22 passing into support 12.

Base 18 is provided with an outlet opening 24 in the portion thereof opposed to support 12, and means communicating the interior of receptacle 14 with outlet opening 24 includes an elongated, horizontal, cylindrical bore 26 extending inwardly in base 18 to a point past the center thereof as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as well as a relatively short, vertical passage 28 located substantially on the axis of receptacle 14 and communicating the latter with bore 26. Receptacle 14 is adapted to contain a quantity of semi-paste material 30 such as soap or the like, and mechanism for ejecting measured quantities of material 30 from dispenser It) includes an elongated, tubular dispensing plunger 32,. reciprocably received within bore 26 and extending outwardly therefrom through outlet opening 24. The portion 34 of bore 26 adjacent outlet opening 24 is threaded in a manner to receive a tubular bearing 36 which is complementally threaded into portion 34 and includes an annular, inturned flange portion 38 slidably engaging the outermost surface of plunger 32. The internal diameter of the outer end 42 of bearing is slightly greater than the internal diameter of inner end 44 of the same, to thereby present an annular, internal, shoulder 46 between ends 42 and 44. Outer end 42 of bearing 36 slidably receives a cylindrical spring guide and stop member 48 having an external diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of end 42 of bearing 36 so that member 48 engages the inner surface of end 42 as plunger 32 and member 48 are reciprocated in bearing 36, and the internal diameter of member 43 is slightly greater than the external diameter of plunger 3-2 to present a cylindrical space between the same. An annular, inturned flange 50 integral with the outermost end of member 48 engages the outermost surface of plunger 32 and abuts against an actuating knob 52 secured to the outermost end of plunger 32, it being noted that knob 52 is provided with a relatively short discharge conduit 54 communicating with plunger 32 adjacent the outermost end thereof. Means for maintaining plunger 32 at the outermost end of its path of travel includes an elongated coil spring 56 surrounding plunger 32 and engaging flanges 50 and 38 at opposite ends thereof.

The innermost end of tubular plunger 32 is externally threaded and thereby complementally receives a tubular piston 58 threaded onto the same so that piston 53 and plunger 32 are disposed in coaxial relationship. An inner, annular wall 66 substantially closing the innermost and of tubular piston 58 and presenting a central opening 62 operates to eject material 30 from dispenser 19 in a manner to be hereinafter described. A ball valve 64 shiftably mounted within piston 58 and movable to and from a position closing opening 62 is normally biased into a closed position by a coil spring 66 mounted within piston 58 and normally maintained therewithin by the innermost end of plunger 32.

A tubular sleeve 68 telescoped over plunger 32 is disposed between flange portion 38 of bearing 36 and the proximal end of piston 58 for limiting the extent of outward movement of plunger 32 and, likewise, piston 58. The normally lowermost portion of piston 58 is provided with an elongated key way 70 which slidably receives a pin or key 72 adjustably disposed within a threaded passage 74 extending from the lowermost portion of base 18 into communication with bore 26 at right angles to the latter. A circular, weighted follower plate 76 is provided within receptacle 14 and adapted to be disposed on the uppermost surface of material 30, and is attached by a suitable chain 78 to a cover 79 closing the uppermost end of receptacle 14.

In operation, cover 79 and follower plate 76 are removed from receptacle 14 to permit the latter to be filled with material 30 and then plate 76 and cover 79 are replaced with plate 76 bearing against the uppermost surface of material 30. As clearly illustrated in Fig. l, the innermost end of piston 58 is disposed substantially on the vertical center line of passage 28 when plunger 32 is at'the outermost end of its path of travel under the influence of coil spring 56. In this manner, material 30 is permitted to pass downwardly through passage 28 into bore 26 and fill up the innermost closed portion 80 of the same. It should be pointed out that follower plate 76 functions to prevent air from passing through the semi-paste material into portion 80 of bore 26 but, in any event, closed portion 80 will be filled with material 30 after the initial actuation of plunger 32 in a manner to be hereinafter described.

When a person desires to dispense a quantity of material 39 from dispenser 10, it is but necessary for him to push inwardly on knob 52 to reciprocate plunger 32 and, in turn, piston 58 in the same direction to force a predetermined amount of material 36 from conduit 54 by virtue of the fact that inward movement of piston 58 to a position where the outermost face of wall 60 clears passage 28 and moves inwardly into closed portion 80 of bore 26 causes material 30 disposed in portion 80 to be compressed and thereby force ball valve 64 into an open position against the action of coil spring 66 to permit the material to flow through piston 58, thence through plunger 32 and finally out of the outermost end thereof through conduit 54. Return movement of the plunger 32 and piston 58 causes a slight vacuum to be formed in closed portion 80 of bore 26, and such vacuum causes material 30 to be immediately drawn into closed portion 80 as soon as piston 58 has moved a sufficient extent to permit passage 28 to communicate with bore 26. Thus, even though material 30 is in a substantially viscous condition, it can be appreciated that because of the vacuum produced by reciprocation of piston 58 out of closed portion 80 of bore 26, the vacuum produced immediately pulls a suflicient quan- 4 tity of material 30 into closed portion to fill the same.

The extent of inward reciprocation of plunger 32 and thereby piston 58 may be changed by varying the length of guide member 48, inasmuch as the innermost end thereof engages shoulder 46 of bearing 36 and thus, the quantity of material dispensed from conduit 54 may be changed as desired. Also, by varying the effective length of sleeve 68, the distance which piston 58 returns under the influence of coil spring 56 may be changed to suit the specific conditions encountered. Key 72 riding in key way 70 prevents piston 58 from revolving during reciprocation thereof and thereby allow conduit 54 to assume a position other than that normal to desired operation as shown in the drawing.

It is to be pointed out that because of the fact that all of the material ejection mechanism is disposed within a single, horizontal bore communicating with the outlet of base 13, the overall cost of dispenser 16 may be materially lessened because of the necessity of drilling only one, relatively long passage in base 18, it being manifest that additional machining operations involved in forming other elongated passages in base 18 would increase the final cost of the apparatus. Furthermore, the entire ejection mechanism may be removed from dispenser N by merely turning key 72 outwardly to a position clearing piston 53 and then unscrewing bearing 36 from portion 34 of bore 26. In this manner, the ejection mechanism may be removed and parts cleaned or replaced as needed. It is to be understood that various modifications may be made in devices embodying the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. The dispenser may hold and feed liquid soap or similar material and it is for purposes of disclosing one typical example of dis pensable material only that the term semi-paste is employed.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A dispenser for semi-paste material comprising a hollow material receptacle provided with a base closing the lowermost extremity thereof, said base having an external outlet opening, an elongated horizontal bore extending inwardly from said opening, said bore having an innermost closed end, and a first vertical passage communicting the receptacle with said bore intermediate said opening and said closed end; a bearing having one end threaded into said bore and the opposite end extending outwardly from said opening, said bearing having a passage extending longitudinally therethrough, said passage being of greater cross-sectional area in the end of said bearing extending outwardly from said opening than in the end threaded into the bore, said bearing having an internal shoulder defining the change in cross-sectional area of the passage; an elongated tubular plunger reciprocably carried by said bore and having one end extending outwardly therefrom through the passage of the bearing; a knob on the outermost end of the plunger having an outlet spout therein in communication with said plunger; a cylindrical spring guide telescoped within the outermost end of the bearing passage and surrounding a portion of the plunger, said guide having an inturned flange at the outermost end thereof abutting said knob, said bearing having an inturned flange at the innermost end thereof; a spring disposed within said bearing and said guide engaging said inturned flanges at opposite ends thereof and surrounding said plunger for urging the latter in one direction; an elongated tubular piston adjustably secured to the opposite, innermost end of the plunger and reciprocable therewith, said plunger having a longitudinal passageway communicating with said outlet spout at one end thereof and terminating in an opening at the innermost extremity of said plunger, said tubular piston communicating with said longitudinal passageway, said tubular piston having a transverse wall at the innermost extremity thereof provided with a perforation for permitting material inthe bore to flow through the piston to the passageway in the plunger as the piston and plunger are moved in a direction opposite to said one direction; a sleeve spacer telescoped over said plunger for sliding movement therealong intermediate the innermost extremity of said bearing and the outermost extremity of said piston, said guide engaging said shoulder to limit movement in a direction opposite to said one direction and said sleeve and piston engaging the innermost end of said bearing to limit movement in said one direction whereby said guide and sleeve cooperate to measure the quantity of said material ejected from said outlet spout; valve means within said piston, said valve means normally biased to close said perforation, fluid pressure overcoming said normal bias when said plunger is moved in a direction opposite to said one direction to bias said valve means to open said perforation; a second vertical passageway parallel to and spaced toward said outlet opening from said first vertical passage, said second vertical passageway extending upwardly from the bottom of said base and communicating with said bore, said second passageway being threaded; and an anti-rotation pin threadably received in said second vertical passageway and having a projection extending into said bore, said piston having a longitudinal way in the outer surface thereof to receive said projection, said way permitting axial movement of said piston while cooperating with said projection to prevent relative rotation of said piston to said bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,290,941 Eckert Ian. 14, 1919 1,514,567 ONeil Nov. 4, 1924 1,711,752 Seipt May 7, 1929 1,942,556 Kirk Ian. 9, 1934 2,619,914 Dobkin Dec. 2, 1952 

